This is part 2 of a planned series of posts on the 2-part episode The Ship of Spies (Part 1, Part 2), written by Buck Henry and Leonard Stern. They won the Emmy award in June, 1967 for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy.
In this post, let's summarize the plot in The Ship of Spies, 2.
- The previous episode ended with Max overboard. Agent 99 desperately tries to save him by firing a rope out of her window for Max to hang onto.
It fails when the rope gives way.
- But somehow Max is saved and the next day we see Max and 99 examining the railing by the main deck. It's in perfect condition, with no sign of the gunplay from the previous night.
- With all the suspicious activity, they decide to call the Chief. For that, they brought a hair-dryer/short wave radio.
It doesn't look suspicious when 99 uses it, but when Max needs to talk to the Chief, people notice.
Soon after that, a mast crashes into their deck chair and they barely escape with their life.
- Max decides to go to Capt. Groman's quarters to ask for his help. Max tells the Captain that somebody onboard his ship has stolen the plans for the nuclear amphibian battleship. The only clue he has is that the person makes a clip-clop sound.
The Captain promises to listen for that sound. After Max leaves, it is revealed that the Captain wears a peg-leg which makes a clip-clop sound.
- Back in his cabin, Max calls 99 on his pistol/phone.
Both 99 and Max have some sort of message written on their cabin window.
99 gets the idea that it's a code written by Agent 44. She deciphers it using the first letters of each word: "Up on deck now." They leave to meet Agent 44 up on deck, by Max cautions 99 "But I want you to leave your stateroom without being observed by anybody."
- They have a hard time not being noticed. It seems everyone is leaving their cabin at the same time.
Eventually, they sneak up the stairs.
- Max and 99 meet Aget 99, who's hiding in a large ventilation inlet.
He told them Hector Baccardo was in league with Senorita Merendez. 44 also said that the plans for the nuclear amphibian battleship were not plans, but then he was shot.
- Max confronts Baccardo. Baccardo is not Portuguese and is not handicapped. His bulletproof saber-mounted wheelchair both protects him from Max's bullets but can be used to attack Max.
However, Max disables him with a karate chop.
- Max then rushes to Capt Groman's quarters asking to use his radio to call for help. "I must contact my headquarters. I believe I have found the man who stole the plans for the nuclear amphibian battleship!"
Capt Groman says "Mr. Smart, I'll take you to the radio room myself." However, once he hobbles around the desk with a clip-clop sound, Max sees his peg leg for the first time. There's a fight and Max shoots and misses Capt Groman.
However, he hits the ship-in-a-bottle model behind the captain, infuriating him.
- Ming bursts in, dazing Max but getting shot in the cross-fire. Just as Capt Groman is about to kill Max with a peg-leg saber, 99 runs in and rescues him.
Max concludes, "You know, it's a shame, 99. All this could have been avoided. If only he had only used his leg for good instead of evil."
The episode ends with the Chief examining the railing where Max fell into the waterand they learn that Agent 44 will be okay.
"It seems solid now." Max tests it with a karate chop.
The Chief falls into the water.
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